LANGLEY, British Columbia — Shorthanded and undersized, St. Edward's stood tall against DII Canadian Tip-Off Classic host Simon Fraser, building a big second-half lead and holding off a late surge for a 61–54 victory.
The Hilltoppers faced a massive frontcourt anchored by 7-foot center Zach Stone and 6-foot-10 forward Roko Maric, but compensated defensively by blending last year's full-court pressure with swarming half-court principles — helping at the nail and the boxes to crowd driving lanes.
Playing without leading scorer and primary playmaker
BLAKE NIELSEN, who sat out the second night of a back-to-back, St. Edward's struggled early to adjust to the size disadvantage.
Freshman point guard
RYDER BRADLEY provided a steady hand in Nielsen's absence, splitting the defense for a driving layup and finding
SAM MCKINNEY slipping an off-ball screen for an early dunk. In just his second collegiate game, Bradley showed the ability to finish through contact, use his body to carve angles, and patiently work to his spots against the zone — adding a short turnaround jumper along the way.
Bradley finished the first half with seven points, five assists, and two steals to just one turnover.
Senior forward
JAMISON KAY keyed much of the Hilltoppers' success on both ends. Defensively, he held his ground against larger post players, switched out on the perimeter, and recovered seamlessly in help. Offensively, the Hilltoppers freed him with a series of cross screens along the baseline, taking advantage of his size and mobility for layups, fouls, and a 3-pointer on his way to 10 first-half points.
Off the bench,
ROBERT CONRAD injected instant energy and defense, picking Simon Fraser clean twice at half court — turning one steal into a fast-break dunk and the other into a hit-ahead assist to McKinney for another slam.
The Hilltoppers' offense wasn't always smooth, but it was composed and careful — recording seven assists to only four turnovers while forcing 12 on defense. With disciplined ball movement and a disruptive press, St. Edward's took a 40–28 halftime lead, outscoring Simon Fraser 22–8 in the paint.
St. Edward's continued to clamp down defensively early in the second half, gradually extending its advantage.
CONOR MCMANUS showcased his improved dribble-drive game with a slashing layup, and McKinney capitalized on the attention Kay drew in the post to sneak along the baseline for a tip-in.
After Bradley drove in for another finish,
LUCA BAREI and Conrad checked in with their trademark spark. Barei drew a shooting foul off an offensive rebound and sank both free throws, then Conrad went coast-to-coast for a three-point play. Barei followed with another offensive rebound and layup to stretch the lead to 21 with 10:18 remaining.
Simon Fraser responded with a 15–1 run as St. Edward's went cold, cutting the lead to a single possession at 55–52 with 2:57 left after a Maric post-up. The Hilltoppers steadied themselves with another well-timed cross-screen for Kay, who scored off a feed from Bradley. Kay then extended the lead with a jab-and-go drive from the perimeter to get all the way to the rim, and McKinney sealed the win with a pair of free throws.
Kay led St. Edward's with 14 points and six rebounds, while McKinney added 10 and five. Bradley finished with nine points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals, and Conrad contributed eight points and three steals off the bench.
Maric led Simon Fraser with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double off the bench, and fellow reserve Daniel Augusto Smith added 10. No other Red Leaf reached double figures.
The win moves St. Edward's to 2–0, and the Hilltoppers will close their Canada trip Sunday against Central Washington at 4 p.m.
